Crunch Fitness Opens 100 New Gyms
Crunch Fitness is accelerating its expansion in 2026, with plans to open 100 new gyms this year using its high-value, low-price model. The company's record pace of leasing space demonstrates renewed appetite for in-person fitness and community after pandemic disruptions.
- The planned opening of 100 new gyms in 2026 represents a significant acceleration in growth for Crunch Fitness, which opened 91 locations in 2025 and 61 in 2024. This expansion is supported by a 164% increase in lease volume over the past three years. - The company's "high-value, low-price" (HVLP) model features tiered memberships. The "Base" membership starts at approximately $9.99 per month for access to a single club's equipment, while "Peak" and "Peak Results" tiers add group fitness classes, multi-club access, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) classes for about $24.99 to $29.99 per month. - In April 2025, private equity firm Leonard Green & Partners acquired a majority stake in Crunch Fitness from TPG Growth. Since TPG's investment in 2019, Crunch has added over 2.1 million members and 275 locations. - A significant portion of Crunch's expansion is driven by large franchisees. CR Fitness, the largest franchisee, operates nearly 90 clubs and plans to open over 100 more in the next five years, supported by a $350 million investment from Sixth Street. - The expansion includes the rollout of "Crunch 3.0," a new gym design that incorporates premium features like heated studios and expanded recovery zones. - Crunch Fitness primarily competes with other HVLP gyms like Planet Fitness, which has a larger footprint of over 2,500 locations. The HVLP gym sector has seen record visitation levels, particularly among younger consumers. - The company is led by CEO Jim Rowley and President Chequan Lewis, who oversee a system that serves over 3 million members across more than 500 gyms worldwide. - Beyond its physical locations, Crunch has invested in digital fitness with the launch of Crunch+, a streaming platform offering on-demand and live workouts to all members.
